I cut and set every stone in our Tbilisi studio, so everything here is written from my own bench and not from a catalog. Pick a section below, or keep scrolling for the latest guides.
Browse by Subject
Real or Fake
Checks you can make at home, with no tools and no laboratory.
Stone Meanings
Where the color actually comes from, and what people have read into it.
Stone vs Stone
Two stones that look alike, held side by side.
Sterling Silver
What 925 silver promises, and what it means for sensitive skin.
Birthstones and Gifts
Which stone belongs to her month, and how to choose a gift.
Wear and Care
Which stones can get wet, and how to keep each one at its best.
The Akra Gemstone Journal
Lapis Lazuli: Three Minerals in One Stone, and How to Spot a Fake
Three minerals make one lapis, and only one of them is blue. Four checks that catch dyed stone, glass and plastic in seconds, and why a raw lapis face looks nothing like the polished one in every photograph.
Labradorite Stone: Why the Cut Decides the Flash
Two labradorites can come from the same piece of rough, and one flashes blue while the other looks gray. What decides it is the cut. Here is how the flash works, and what to check before you buy.
